Chicken-coop.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

C. A. HARP.

CHICKEN COOP. APPLICATION FILED APR.2.1906.

Q, -[NV ENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

PATENT orrron.

CHARLES A. HARP, OF KING, TEXAS.

CHICKEN-COOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309,426.

To all 2072,07? it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. HARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at King, in the county of Ooryell and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Chicken- Coop, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in chicken coops or houses of that general class shown and described in United States Letters Patent granted to me on the 24th day of March, 1891, under No. 448,959.

The object of the invention is to improve, simplify, and cheapen the construction of the coop and to prevent lateral movement of the same when in elevated position by the employment of flexible stay-Wires anchored in the ground and connected to the opposite corners of the coop.

A further object of the invention is to form the elevating-lever with a longitudinal slot adapted to receive and guide the locking bail or loop when the coop is raised or lowered.

A still fiu'ther object is to provide a removable partition extending across one corner of the coop and defining a nest-receiving com partment.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the coop in elevated position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the coop supported on the ground. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the coop detached. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The device consists of a supporting post or standard 5, one end of which is embedded in the ground and the opposite end thereof bifurcated at 6 for the reception of a hand operating-lever 7, the latter being pivotally supported on the standard in any suitable manner, as by a pin 8.

Suspended from the short end of the lever S, as by ropes or wires 9, is the coop or cage 10, one wall of which is provided with an opening or recess 11 and parallel guides 11, between which is mounted for vertical movement a slide or closure 12. The closure 12 is provided with depending legs 13, adapted to engage the ground and open the slide when the coop is lowered, so as to permit the exit of the chickens, said slide being suspended in closed position when the coop is elevated by engagement with a stop 14, extending laterally from the floor of the coop at the opening 11. Arranged within the coop and secured in any suitable manner to the walls thereof are blocks 15, which form guides for a removable partition 16, extending transversely across one corner of the coop and defining a nest-receiving compartment, as shown.

The wall of the coop adjacent the nest-receiving compartment is formed with an opening 17 to permit the entrance and exit of the fowl, and mounted between the parallel guides 18 is a sliding door 19, adapted to normally close the openings 17. Secured to the opposite corners of the cage or coop are stay wires or cords 20, each having an intermediate portion thereof anchored to the ground by means of pins or stakes 21, so as to prevent lateral movement of the coop when said coop is supported at elevated position.

The lower arm of the lever 7 is provided with an elongated slot 22, adapted to receive a locking-bail 23, pivotally mounted on the standard 5, as indicated at 24, said bail being adapted to engage a notch or recess 25, formed in one wall of the slot 22 for locking the cage in elevated position. When the lever 7 is depressed, the locking-bail will slide over the adjacent wall of slot 22 and automatically engage the recess 25, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the cage is automatically opened when lowered and closed when it is raised and is so suspended that rodents and other destructive animals cannot obtain access to young chickens within the coop, and there is no danger of the chickens being drowned by water collecting within the cage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a standard, a lever pivoted to the standard, a cage supported from the lever and movable to elevated position above the surface of the ground, means for lockin the cage in elevated position, and a flex'ble connection between each corner of the cage and the ground for preventing lateral movement of said cage when in elevated position' 2. In a device of the class described, a standard, a lever pivoted to the standard and having its long end provided with a longitudinal slot one wall of which is formed with a locking-recess, a coop suspended from the short end of the lever, and movable to elevated position above the surface of the ground, a flexible connection between the coop and the ground, and a locking-bail pivoted to the standard and having its free end slidably mounted in the slot for engagement with the locking-recess.

3. In a device of the class described, a standard, a lever pivotally mounted on the standard and having a locking-recess formed in the long end thereof, a coop suspended from the short end of the lever and movable to elevated position above the surface of the ground, a partition disposed Within the coop and defining a nest-receiving compartment, an opening formed in the coop and communicating with the nest-receiving compartment, a closure for said opening, stay-wires secured to the ground and connected to the corners of the coop, and a locking-bail pivoted to the standard and. adapted to engage the locking-recess.

4. In a device of the class described, a standard having one end thereof bifurcated, a lever pivotally mounted on the bifurcated end of the standard and having its long arm provided with an elongated slot, one Wall of which is formed with a locking-recess, a coop suspended from the short end of the lever and movable to elevated position above the surface of the ground when the long end of the lever is depressed, stay-wires anchored. to the ground and secured to the corners of the coop for preventing lateral movement of said coop when in elevated position, and a locking-bail pivoted to the standard and slidably mounted in the slot for engagement with the locking-recess for supporting th coop in elevated position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. HARP. WVitnesses:

W. T. JOHNSON, R. O. Hoon. 

